I’m wrong. (Part II)
I assume I’m not the only one who hates admitting it.
It happens every now and then, to all of us…when we have to ditch the pride and take responsibility for (false) actions.
In my previous post (Part I) I talked about my/our difficulty to deal with imperfection. This doesn’t feel much different – how come “I’m wrong” is such a hard thing to say?
At TEDGlobal 2011, Tim Harford spoke of the God Complex:
“In my own little world, I am a god, I understand everything. I don’t want to have my opinions challenged, my conclusions tested…it feels so much more comfortable to lay down the law.”
Only problem with that frame of mind is that we live in an incredibly complex world today. According to Harford, the notion that regardless of how complicated the problem may be, you still have an overwhelming belief that you’re infallibly right is something we as individuals and as a collective need to abandon.
He stresses the need for trial and error procedures and the importance of making mistakes – good mistakes. Our evolution is proof of this kind of procedure, yet still we walk around believing that the power lies in having the answers, as opposed to asking questions.
What really resonates with me in Harford’s presentation is his plea for us to develop a genuine sense of humility.
To value the wrong-doings as a part of the process.
Therefore let us ditch the race for perfection and honour the road of mistakes, to be more humble towards ourselves and life.
